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Chelee · 08-01-2007, 01:59 PM

I was going to ask the same thing as Becky. How does your onc know your have heart issues? Have you had a recent ECHO or MUGA to confirm this? If its yes...then I understand. But I hate to see your onc pull you off herceptin before he knows for sure.

I did TCH and finished my year of herceptin and just wanted to tell you I got concerned too because around trt 4 or 5 of TCH my ankles & lower legs were swelling really bad! Pitted edema and very un-comfortable. My onc wasn't concerned since my ECHO's were great so I continued with TCH. My pulmonary doc put me on lasix...40 mg. That seemed to do the trick. I stayed on lasix for about 2 months *after* my last TCH and the edema *completely* went away. I've been OFF lasix since then and no problems. I was still doing my weekly herceptin and no problems. So your onc really can't be sure its your heart, nor from herceptin. I can't help but feel its just a side affect from the taxotere? This problem did NOT start for me till the END of my TCH trt. Your situation sounds the same way. I think you will find once you are off TCH that edema will eventually go away. Keep us updated and let us know what they find out. I have a feeling you will be ok and its just that nasty taxotere messing with ya. Hang in there.

Chelee

08-01-2007, 01:59 PM	#7
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	I was going to ask the same thing as Becky. How does your onc know your have heart issues? Have you had a recent ECHO or MUGA to confirm this? If its yes...then I understand. But I hate to see your onc pull you off herceptin before he knows for sure. I did TCH and finished my year of herceptin and just wanted to tell you I got concerned too because around trt 4 or 5 of TCH my ankles & lower legs were swelling really bad! Pitted edema and very un-comfortable. My onc wasn't concerned since my ECHO's were great so I continued with TCH. My pulmonary doc put me on lasix...40 mg. That seemed to do the trick. I stayed on lasix for about 2 months *after* my last TCH and the edema completely went away. I've been OFF lasix since then and no problems. I was still doing my weekly herceptin and no problems. So your onc really can't be sure its your heart, nor from herceptin. I can't help but feel its just a side affect from the taxotere? This problem did NOT start for me till the END of my TCH trt. Your situation sounds the same way. I think you will find once you are off TCH that edema will eventually go away. Keep us updated and let us know what they find out. I have a feeling you will be ok and its just that nasty taxotere messing with ya. Hang in there. Chelee __________________ DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes. Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs. Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06 Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07 3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07 9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV. 9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa 9-29-09 Power Port Placement 10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head. 11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed 12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa. 3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed. 4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone. 5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy. Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time. 7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.